Major Daren Mace is a radar navigator who has been to the gates of hell and back. In Operation Desert Storm, he rightfully aborted a secret mission during the opening hours of the war, only to find himself later ostracized by the flying community and relegated to military exile. The price for that mission was high, but after several years Mace felt he had paid his debt for that fateful day, and found himself in the Air Force Reserves, part of the current administration's Reduction in Forces program. It is in the Reserves, while he is stationed at Plattsburg Air Force Base in New York, that Mace meets Captain Rebecca Furness ("The Iron Maiden"), the first woman combat pilot in the U.S. military and an ace flier.

When a border skirmish erupts halfway around the world, among Russia, Ukraine, and Moldova – and low-yield nuclear devices are used by Russia against Ukraine – the American president, a southern Democrat, faces his toughest challenge yet, puttin the country on full wartime readiness footing – the first since 1991.

As the Russian president begins to plot his power plays, his American counterpart, in concert with his wife, orders up an air combat force to the Ukraine. Secretly included in this force is Mace and Furness's F-111G Reserves unit, which will form the bulk of Ukraine's nuclear deterrent force. But as in war itself, the best of intentions go awry. Just as the personal relationship between Daren Mace and Rebecca Furness begins to grow, they and the rest of their unit find themselves pulled into a conflict that goes beyond Ukrainian borders – an escalation that could lead to all-out nuclear holocaust.

Chains of Command is an exciting book written by Dale Brown. This book takes readers on a thrilling journey through the world of military action and suspense. With its gripping storyline and well-developed characters, Chains of Command is a must-read for fans of the genre.